Apparatus for manufacturing and pressing artificial fuel.



N0. 630,676. Paten t ed Aug. 8, I899.

H. C. B. FORESTER. v APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING AND PRESSING ARTIFICIALFUEL.

(Application filed May 18, 1897.) (No Model.) 4 Sheets-Shae! l.

E IL

wilfl begea:

. 145 nonms Pn zns cu. mom-urn. msnmrrow, n. c.

N0. 636,676. Patented Aug. 8,1899.

9 H. C. B. FORESTER. APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING AND PRESSING ARTIFICIALFUEL.

1 (Application filed May 18, 1897.) (No Model.)

4 Sheets-Sheet 3.

hvezzl'or: 4 .1

Witnesses .5: 21-4. ,4

has Norms PETERS cu. mo'ruuwu. WASHINGTON. n. c.

No. 630,676. Patented Aug; 8, I899.

H. G. B. FORESTER. APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING AND PRESSING ARTIFICIALFUEL.

(Application filed May 18, 1897.1

4 Sheets-Sheet 44.

INo Model.)

Witnesses.-

m: NORRIS Prrzn: Co, moYauYuQ, wAsnmuTon. n. c.

UNITED STATES";

PATENT FFICE.

HERBER o. B. FORESTER, or SKETTY, NEAR SWANSEA, ENGLAND, ASSIGNOR TO THEPATENT AGGLOMENT FUEL SYNDICATE, LIM- ITED, or SWANSEA, ENGLAND.

APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURlNG AND PRESSING'A RTlFlCIAL FUEl'.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 630,676, dated August8,1899. Application filed May 18,1897. Serial No. 637,060. (No model.)

. which the following is a specification.

This invention relates primarily to apparatus of a novel and specialcharacter for use in the manufacture of artificial fuel or socalledpatent fuel, and, secondly, relates to apparatus of a novel and specialcharacter for pressing (into cubes, blocks, or other suitable form)artifical or so-called patent fuel or the like, and while this pressingapparatus is designed more especially for therpressing up or formationof patent fuel into solid form yet it will be obvious that same may beused for pressing any material or materials to which same may beapplicable.

I will first describe my complete apparatus for the manufacture ofartificial fuel and with reference to Figures 1 to 4 of the drawingshereunto annexed, and then I will describe the second part of myinvention relating to the press alone and with reference to Figs. 5 to 7of the drawings hereunto annexed, the novel and essential features inall of which will be finally pointed out in the claims.

My present invention is as follows: I use a suitable retort or chamberadapted to be heated and capable of bearing heat (and also, ifrequired,capable of resisting internal pressure,) advantageously acylindrical chamber, (to which the-fuel material is fed in any suitablemanner) and mounted or supported either horizontally, vertically, or inany other suitable position; but for the sake of example I will describemy invention as carried out with such chamber horizontally mounted onsuitable supports. Within this chamber (which I will term the heatedchamber) I arrange a suitable conveyer-for instance, in the form of anArchimedean screw or screws or worm or series of arms arranged spirallyaround a shaft or equivalent, so that the material or materials (forforming the artificial fuel) fed into said chamber at or near oneendthereof will be gradually conveyed or caused. to travel to the outlet oroutlets from said chamber, which outlet or outlets may advantageouslybeat or near the opposite end of said chamber. This conveyer (Archimedeanscrew, &c. is caused to revolve by any suitable mechanism-for instance,by a shaft fixed thereon passing through the end of the chamber(advantageously through a stuffing-box or other suitable arrangement formaking atight joint' where it is desired to keep the aforesaid chamberclosed tightly) and said; shaft revolved by a pulley and belt thereonoperated from any convenient source of power or in any other suitablemanner at any suitable speed to deliver the material at the outlet fromsaid chamber.

Instead of the conveyer being formed of an Archimedean screw, asaforesaid, any other suitable, conveyer or means may be employed forcausing the material (which it is desired to treat in this chamber) tobe passed along said heated chamber from the inlet to the outlet, asaforesaid. In a convenient position in connection With the outletoroutlets from said heated chamber I arrange or mount a suitable briquetpress or apparatus for pressing artificial or so-called patent fuel intoa solid'formthat is, either into blocks, cubes, or other suitable shape.For instance, I may advantageously combine and arrange with my aforesaidheated chamber and conveyer therein a press or pressing-machine orseveral presses of the character shown in Figs. 5 to 7 of the drawingshereunto annexed, in which the piston or plunger Works in a cylinder tocompress the fuel and force same out of an opening at the end of saidcylinder finished and ready for use. For making artificial fuel where itis desirable that no escape of gases or volatile matter Shall take placefrom said chamber or pressing apparatus from the time when the materialis fed into the aforesaid heated chamber until it exudes from or leavesthe apparatus or is forced out of the press pressed into the solid formfor this purpose thearrangement for feeding into the heated chamber thematerial to form the artificial fuel is such that escape of the gases orvolatile matter is very small or altogether prevented. Forinstance, thismay be efiected by the fuel material being filled into a V-shaped hopperor other suitable feeding device to such a depth that the mass ofentering fuel will itself make its own seal to prevent escape of thevolatiles at the feedinlet to said heated chamber, or I may use anysuitable means foreffecting this objectforinstance,suitablefeeding-valve.

I will now proceed to describe my present invention with reference tothe accompanying drawings.

Fig. 1 is a plan, Fig. 2 a longitudinal sectional view on line 2 2, Fig.1, and Fig. 3 a cross-section on line 3 3, Fig. 2, looking in thedirection of the arrow at, of my said combined retort and press.

a is the heated chamber, into which is fed the material to form theartificial fuel. For the purpose of such feeding I may use any suitablemeansfor instance, a circular valve 1), adapted to be revolved by thetoothed wheel 0 on the spindle b of said valve and having a cavity orrecess 01 therein, which cavity alternately coincides with the bottomopening 6' of the feed-hopper e or other suitable source of supply ofthe material and with the inlet or inlets a into the aforesaid heatedchamber a in such manner that while coinciding with the former andduring its movement it cuts off all connection with the interior of thesaid heated chamber at until said cavity has been moved around intocoincidence with the aforesaid inlet or inlets a into said chamber a, atwhich moment it has then cut off all communication with the hopper e orexterior atmosphere, so that the material can thus be fed (in regulatedquantities) into the interior of the said heated chamber a. Thisvalve 1) may be caused to revolve by the spurwheel 0 on the spindle b,on which this valve 1) is mounted, the said spur-wheel c gearing withanother toothed wheel f, fixed on the shaft g, which rotates theconveyer, which in the case illustrated is an Archimedean screw it, therelative speeds of the valve 1) and the conveyer h, respectively, beingsuch that the former cannot feed the material to the conveyer hquickerthan the latter is capable of carrying it away or quicker than the fuelmaterial can be removed from the heated chamber (1.

Instead of the foregoing rotary valve 7) a slide-valve with a cavitytherein may be arranged to act in a similar manner, or, if desired, twoor more of the aforesaid valves or equivalents may be arranged to feedthe material into the heated chamber a, or all such valves may bedispensed with and the fuel simply fed in a mass into the hopper e, and

' thus form its own seal, as aforesaid.

The outlet or outlets 01, from the heated chamber a communicate onlywith the inlet or inlets 1 leading into the respecti e cylindersj of thecompressing apparatus, and the piston-rod or ram of the press, (in thecase illustrated two such presses are shown,) being arranged to passthrough suitable stuflingboxesj or equivalent, and as the outlet 11 fromeach said compressing apparatus is blocked or completely closed in agas-tight manner (or approximately so) by the mass of artificial fuelcompressed in the respective passage-Ways leading to said outlet 71consequently it will be seen that escape of gases or volatile matterfrom the heated chamber and the compressing apparatus is prevented, (orapproximately so,) the communication at a and thetween the heatedchamber a and the compressing apparatus being made in any suitablemanner, so as to prevent any escape of volatiles at such point.

The heated material as it enters the cylinderj is by the reciprocationof the ram or plunger 70 compressed into a solid mass,'(if necessary,the end of the cylinder j at the start being temporarily closed in anysuitable manner to cause the mass to be tightly compressed against thesides of the cylinder, and thereafter such closure is removed,) and thenow-compressed mass is ateach successive stroke of the ram or plunger 70thereby caused to advance along the cylinder and part of said compressedmass thereby exuded or forced out of the outlet 0, while at the sametime the resistance offered by said com pressed mass (by reason of thefriction of same against the inside of said cylinderj) is such as tocause the compression between same and the ramhead or plungerof thefresh material received into the cylinder at each reciprocation of saidplunger 7c. The amount of such resistance may be regulated in anydesired manner. For instance, the same may be increased by prolongingthe length of the cylinder or tube j to any desired extent beyond thelimit of movement of the ram or plunger or by forming the part beyondthe ram slightly conical or tapered in any desired manner, or the samemay be made adjustable or expansible either in section or otherwise.

g is a belt-pulley on the end of the conveyershaft 9, by which thelatter is revolved. I have found it a convenient arrangement (though Ido not limit myself thereto) to arrange duplicate compressing apparatus,such as illustrated, in which the plungers or rams are each actuated byany suitable means, such as a two-throw crank on a crank-shaft (notshown) driven at a suitable speed either directly or indirectly by thesame motor or source of power which operates the conveyer h andfeeding-valve b, as aforesaid, or independent power may be used foroperating'the said conveyer and feeding valve or valves.

The various parts of the apparatus are thus arranged to work relativelyto one another-in such manner that a continuous supply of the fuelmaterial is passed into and through the heated chamber a and deliveredthence (for instance, by falling by its own gravity or un- IOC der theaction of the conveyer h, or both) into the pressing-machine, where thesame is pressed up and forced out in a core or lengths, which may bedivided up into blocks or briquets of any suitable size.

The desired amount of heat may be applied to the aforesaidheatedchamberin any suitable manner-forinstance, bya steam or hotwaterjacket or by a furnace or a flue or annulus m around or partly aroundsaid heatedchamber a, as shown, through which heat is conducted from anysuitable furnace, (not shown,) or the heat may be applied internally(for instance, by making th Archimedean screw hollow and passing steamtherethrough) in any suitable manner, or both.

In the drawings hereunto annexed I have shown the cylinder j (or thatpart of same in which the ram operates) located in the flue 111, so asto thereby keep the said cylinder heated at the point where thefuelmaterial is first compressed; butI do not confine myself to thusheating said cylinderj, as I may heat same at such point, if desired, inany other suitable manner, or, if desired, I may dispense with suchauxiliary heating altogether and not heat said press at all.Furthermore, I find it very advantageous to arrange a water jacket orcoil or other suitable means (not shown) around the cylinder j at ornear the outlet 2" therefrom or anywhere between the latter and thepoint where the ram operates, through which (jacket, coil, the.) coldWater is caused to flow, or'other suitable means may be employed to keepthat part of the cylinder j above referred to sufficiently cold or coolto thereby cool the fuel before it finally issues from the said outlett". v The made fuel as it issues from said outlet 1) may be received orremoved in any other suitable manner.

Fig. 4 shows a modified arrangement in which the fuel material aftersame hasbeen heated and passed through the chamber a is then receivedinto a closed intermediate chamber 0, (by passing through the outlet a'and inlet 0 into said chamber,) in which latter stirring-armsp radiatefrom the vertical shaft q, driven by the bevel gear-wheel g on theconveyer-shaft g, gearing with the bevel gearwheel on the said shaft q.Two separate pressing-cylinders j (and rams k therein, respectively) areshown, into which the fuel material is fed through the respectiveoutlets 0 from said chamber 0, leading direct into said presses, anespecial object of this intermediate vessel 0 (which may be heated ornot, as desired) being to obviate any tendency to irregular feeding ofthe material into the press, while a further object is to provide areceptacle into which the material can continuously and freely pass fromthe heating-chamber a, and thus prevent the latter becoming blocked orchoked with the fuel material therein.

When using an apparatus entirely closed in or sealed or when a sealedretort only is used, according to my present invention-I: find itadvantageous, as well as desira ble o provide a safety-valve-z'. e.pressure-vtlve- (or more than one such'safety-valve may be used) to thusrelieve any undue pressure in said retort or apparatus, and therebyobviate any chance of explosion of or damage to said apparatus from anypossible excessive internal pressure arising therein.

As described with reference to Figs. 5 to 7, the press may be jacketedor otherwise provided with means to heat the same or otherwise arrangedto be heated at or near the point where the first compression of thefuel takes place, and the press may be arranged in any suitable mannerto be cooled at or near the outlet therefrom or otherwise suitablyarranged to cool the pressed fuel before same leaves the press or whileso doing.

I will now describe my improvements relatin g to the press and withreference to Figs. 5 to 7 of the drawings hereunto annexed.

duce the material to be pressed into shape into a cylinder or tube orchamber of any suitable shape in cross-section, (for the sake ofbrevityI shall hereinafter refer to these as the -chamber,) in whichlatter a piston-ram or plunger is arranged to be reciprocated by anysuitable means, such as hereinafter explained, and I provide suitablemeans in combination and acting inconjunction with the aforesaid pressor the aforesaid pressingchamber therein, through or by which means I amenabled to heat the material at one point in said pressing chamber andcool same at another point therein. For instance, both a heating-jacketand a cooling-jacket may be used in or on or with the same pressi. 6.,to heat the press and the material in the press at one point and atanother point to'cool said material while in said press, this latteroperation being performed advantageously just at or near the point wherethe material leaves the press.

Referring to Figs. 5 to 7 of thedrawings hereunto annexed, Fig. 5 showsapress having two separate jackets thereon, the one, D, being adapted tocool the pressed material, and the other said jacket, E, being adaptedto heat the said material. Fig. 6 isa longitudinal section of Fig. 5.Fig. 7 is a vertical cross-section on line 3 3, Fig. 6.

I will now describe the apparatus shown in the drawings and manner ofusing same for fuel-making purposes.

Into the chamber A, I provide a suitable inlet B or inlets,(advantageously through the side thereof,) either controlled (or' not)by one or more feeding-valves (not shown) of any suitable character toprevent escape (during feeding or from the interior of the chamber A) ofthe material or of any volatiles therefrom, or simple slide valves orcovers for such apertures B may or may not be used, or the ram orplunger 0 may form "its own valvet'. a, serve to close theinlet- 1 portsduring part of its travelaccording to in connection with said retort orapparatus According to my present invention I intro- IIO the characterof the material being pressed or results desired. Through this inlet Bor in any other suitable manner the material to be pressed is fed intothe interior of the chamber A in the path of travel of the aforesaid ramor plunger 0 therein. The latter now forces the material before it alongsaid chamber A or it may be along an extension or prolongation of saidchamberA, or both-for instance, alonga passage extending, say, twelveinches (or more or less) beyond the limit of movement of the aforesaidplunger or ramhead 0, the length of this said passage depending oncircumstances, such as the pressure or density desired for the fuel,whether the said passage be contracted or not or in' termittentlyclosured or not, as hereinafter described-in which passage-way A thepressing up into solid or compressed form takes place, said passage-wayoffering sufficient resistance to cause each charge to be compressedbetween said mass and the plunger, and so on with each stroke of theplunger each fresh charge is thereby compressed until the fuel arrivesat the point of escape or discharge from the apparatus, when it isdischarged in a condition sufficiently compressed and solid for thepurpose required, or if greater compression or density is required thiscan be obtained by contracting the passage or by intermittently closingup the passage altogether, or by prolonging the passage, or in any otherdesired manner.

The power necessary for opcratingi. e., reciprocatingthe aforesaid ramor plunger 0 may be applied thereto in any suitable manner from anysuitable source of powerfor instance, hydraulic steam,&c.--eitherapplied direct after the manner of direct-acting steam-pumpsor by cams or cranks (and suitable connections therefrom) on a shaftrevolved directly or indirectly by any suitable motor.

D is cold-water jacket, having inlet and outlet D D, by whichcirculation of cold water through said jacket is maintained in anysuitable manner.

E is heating-jacket, having inlet and outlet E E, by which circulationof steam or hot air or hot gases is maintained through said jacket E inany suitable manner and from any suitable source, or, if desired, theflue of a furnace may be connected up to said jacket E or the heat(flames or hot gases) from afurnace may be conducted into said jacket Eor otherwise applied to heat the pressing-chamber A at or about thepoint of compression. It will thus be seen that at the point where thefuel material is compressed in said chamber A same is heated to anyrequired extent (or its heat maintained) while pressing takes place, andthen as said compressed fuel arrives at or near the outlet A from saidpress it is cooled to any desired extent by the cooling jacket D beforesaid compressed fuel passes out of said outlet A.

Iwish, however,

this part of my present invention consists in providing means to heat apress of the character described, and the material within same, at thepoint of compression of said material in said press, and another veryimportant fea ture consists in combining and arranging on the same pressboth means to heat said press and the material therein at one point andmeans to cool said press and the said material at another and separatepoint.

, If desired, anysuitable number (more than one) of compressingapparatus acting in accordance with my hereinbefore-described inventionmay be combined or arranged to act in conjunction or adjacent to oneanother, each operated from the same or separate source of power, asdesired. For instance, two compressing apparatus may be arrangedparallel side by side.

Any suitable packing, such as asbestos,may be mounted on the plunger orram 0 or other wise suitably arranged to bear against the inside wall ofthe chamberA or to bear against the plunger, or both, for the purposesof preventing (as far as possible) the material getting in between theplunger and the wall of said chamber.

I may provide any suitable means to break or saw or cut or otherwisesever the fuel into blocks or lengths either as the fuel issues from thepress or subsequently. For instance, a circular cutter or saw may beused, intermittently reciprocating across the outlet from the press, orI may form or arrange a kind of cutter or knife like a guillotine to bemechanically or otherwise operated to sever the core of pressed materialinto lengths or blocks as said core exudes from the press.

Having thus described the nature of my said invention, what I claim asnew, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. In an apparatus for manufacturing artificial fuel, the combination ofa vessel, means for heating the same, means in said vessel for agitatingthe fuel, and at the same time couveyin g it forward, and a press whichreceives the contents of said vessel, the whole apparatus beingair-tight, whereby the volatile matters are retained in the finishedblocks of fuel, substantially as described.

2. In an apparatus for manufacturing artificial fuel, the combination ofa cylinder, means for heating the same, a conveyer within said cylinder,ahopper over said cylinder, an air-tight pocketed valve arranged todeliver the material in the hopper into said cylinder, means foroperating said conveyer and valve, and a press connected to saidcylinder and adapted to receive the contents thereof, the wholeapparatus being air-tight, substantially as described.

3. In. an apparatus for manufacturing artificial fuel, the combinationwith a cylinder, means for heating the same, aspiral conveyer in saidcylinder, a hopper communicating to remark that one very importantfeature of yith one end of said cylinder, arotatin g pocketed valveadapted to deliver the contents of said hopper into said cylinder, meansfor rotating said conveyer and said valve, pressingcylinders, plun gersin said pressing-cylinders, and means for operating said plungers, theWhole apparatus being air-tight, substantially as described.

4. In an apparatus for manufacturing artificial fuel, the combinationwith a cylinder,

means for heating the same, a spiral con veyer within said cylinder, ahopper located at one end of said cylinder, an air-tight pocketed valveto deliver the material from said hopper into said cylinder, means foroperating the conveyer and valve, a press to receive the contents ofsaid cylinder, plungers in said press, means for heating one end of saidpress, and means for cooling the other end of said press, the wholeapparatus being so arranged that it is closed at all points to preventthe escape of volatile substances even when under considerable pressure,substantially as described.

5. In an apparatus for manufacturing artificial fuel, the combinationwith a cylinder, means for heating the same, a spiral conveyer withinsaid cylinder, a hopper located at one end of said cylinder, anair-tight valve to convey the contents of said hopper to said cylinder,a chamber into which said cylinder delivers, stirring-blades in saidcylinder, means for operating said stirring-blades valve and said spiralconveyer, a press to receive the 'in said cylinder, a hopper locatedover one end of said cylinder, an air-tight valve to convey the contentsof said hopper into said cylinder, a chamber into which said cylinderdelivers, stirring-blades in said chamber, a press to receive the fuelfrom said chamber, plungers in said press, means for heating one end ofsaid press and cooling the other end there of, and means for operatingthe valve, conveyer, stirring-blades and plungers, the wholeapparatusbeing air-tight, substantially as described.

H. O. B. FORESTER. WVitnesses:

I-I. BIRKBEOK, EDWIN GANDER.

